The decision to locate social housing at Palm Cove and Bluewater Harbour at Trinity Park has generated fierce opposition from some local residents and sparked a fiery debate in the general community.

Even though opponents are vocal, organised and well resourced, they are entitled to expect their local member to represent them and ensure their arguments and opinions are heard and considered by government.

That’s why I have met with resident representatives a number of times, conveyed their opposition personally to both the Premier and the responsible Minister, arranged for the Minister to meet with them in Cairns and raised the issue in Parliament.

Although neither the Premier nor the Minister has been persuaded by their arguments to stop the projects, residents have been given assurances that stringent tenancy selection and management measures will be applied to the properties.

This means that tenants will be seniors, people with a disability and low income workers from seasonally volatile industries like tourism and hospitality. People with particular needs that cannot reasonably be met at Palm Cove and Trinity Park will be housed elsewhere.

These arrangements should give existing residents confidence that their new social housing neighbours will not wreck their neighbourhood or ruin their lifestyle.

In fact, there will be a much higher level of selection and management of these tenancies than would occur if the properties were on the private rental market.

Many existing residents are opposed to unit development on the northern beaches, whether it is for social housing or not. I can understand their concerns as the character of the area changes and dwelling density increases. But the proliferation of units is enabled by the local government town planning scheme and is driven by demand.

Units and apartments, while not for everyone, do suit many people’s budgets, lifestyles and particular needs and are now found throughout the northern beaches. They are no less suitable for social housing tenants than they are for owner occupiers or private renters.

Both social housing projects are located where the Cairns Regional Council has already determined that medium density residential development can occur. In fact, both sites carried previous council approvals for medium density residential buildings.

There is an argument to improve public notification and consultation for all types of development to give communities more information and a greater say. But if either of these social housing projects had been a private development, no public notification or consultation would have been required.

It has been argued that Trinity Park and Palm Cove are inappropriate locations for social housing because they are too isolated from essential services and facilities.  Apart from the fact that social housing already exists in most beach suburbs, all the northern beaches communities are well serviced by shops, public transport, schools, police, fire and ambulance, doctors, a community health centre, Medicare and Centrelink, a host of sporting and recreational facilities and of course the fabulous beaches themselves.

Adding to the support services available, the Bligh government is funding construction of a new Marlin Coast community neighbourhood centre at Trinity Park.

Are all of these services and facilities right next door to the social housing projects?  No.  Are they reasonably accessible to residents, many of whom will have private cars in any event? Yes.

I reject Doug Turnbull’s statement (Cairns Post April 17) that I have been “smearing” his community as NIMBY’s.  To the contrary, in a speech to the Queensland Parliament on April 13, I stated that it was “perfectly legitimate” for residents to raise concerns and that I believed “many are genuinely concerned for the welfare of those who will be housed in these new apartments”.

Regrettably, that concern is not held by all.  At a meeting with resident representatives, one person vowed that future social housing residents “would never be welcome” at Bluewater Harbour.  I reject and condemn such prejudicial and outmoded attitudes.

Some 1800 people in our region are registered for social housing and 12% of our workforce is unemployed.  Since August 2008, there has been a 53% decline in construction jobs.

We need the 100 new jobs that will be created by these stimulus projects and we need social housing in the northern beaches.  Whether people believe the homes are in the right or the wrong place, are the right or the wrong size or shape or cost too much or too little, people will be living in them and I for one will be there to make them feel welcome.